Question
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Earl Howe on 24 February (HL Deb, col 1622) and the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 9 March (HL5132), for how many years the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has been advising them on the drafting of regulations for proposed interventions for mitochondrial disease; what are the reasons for the current delay in the HFEA announcing its proposals for the regulation, monitoring and reporting of mitochondrial donation treatment cycles; whether it is still their view that "further delay would not be doing the right the thing for families who desperately want to have the choice to access these new techniques"; if so, how delays due to the HFEA have already been explained to such families; and whether they will be able to announce publication of the HFEA’s proposals for regulation, monitoring and reporting in advance of the next General Election.
Answer
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is the United Kingdom’s national regulator and will apply the mitochondrial donation regulations in practice. It is therefore entirely appropriate, and indeed essential, that the HFEA was consulted on the wording of the draft regulations to ensure that they will work in regulatory practice. The HFEA was consulted on the draft regulations that were published for public consultation in February 2014 and on the revised regulations that took account of the comment received in that consultation that were debated in both Houses of Parliament.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015 were approved by the House of Commons on 3 February 2015 and by the House of Lords on 24 February 2015. They come in to force on 29 October 2015. It would have been inappropriate for the HFEA to finalise its proposals for the regulation, monitoring and reporting of mitochondrial donation treatment cycles in advance of Parliament’s decision.
Outline plans of the HFEA’s proposals in this area were discussed at the Authority’s 11 March 2015 meeting, which was open to the public to observe. The HFEA has advised that there is no delay. The minutes will be available on the HFEA website in due course.